Hold'em table

Three-handed on the button, K2o is a profitable open-raise with only the blinds left to act. A 2.5bb size steals the blinds cheaply.

5-3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act.

T5 suited is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button open, and the call price offers favorable pot odds. I’ll see the flop rather than inflate the pot with a marginal hand.

With only T-high and a backdoor flush possibility, I have no reason to build the pot; checking keeps the option to realize equity cheaply.

On a dry Q84 rainbow board I have range advantage as the preflop raiser in position against a BB check. K-high with a backdoor overcard makes a good small c-bet candidate at about a third of the pot.

The 180-chip bet is small relative to the pot, and my hand has backdoor flush and straight possibilities plus a few pair outs. Calling is preferable to turning this weak draw into a bluff.

I have no meaningful draw or showdown value, and checking avoids putting more chips in with a weak hand. I can reassess if the button bets.

King-high has little fold equity against a sticky range that called the flop bet, and it has some showdown value against busted draws. Checking back gives a free river card and keeps the pot small.

I have only ten-high on a paired, ace-high board, but a river bluff is unlikely to fold many hands that called the flop. Checking preserves the chance my high card is good against missed draws.

King-high has almost no showdown value against a range that called the flop and then checked twice. The river ace is a good card to represent, so a bet of about two-thirds pot can fold out weak pairs and queens.

I have only ten-high with no pair or plausible draw, and the river bet on the ace is too costly to bluff-catch with this hand.

T6 suited is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a modest raise uses position without committing too much.

J♠8♠ is a playable suited hand against a button open, but calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids bloating the pot out of position. I’ll take the favorable price and continue cautiously postflop.

Getting 150 to win 600 with a pocket pair that is deep enough to set-mine and closing the action multiway, so calling is clearly profitable. A squeeze into two players is less attractive with a medium pair.

With only two overcards and no immediate straight or flush draw on this dry, multiway flop, checking avoids building a pot with a weak hand.

We flopped top set on a dry board, so we lead for value and protection against straight draws in a multiway pot rather than relying on the preflop raiser to bet.op.. A bet of about 60% pot builds the pot while keeping worse hands like overpairs and 5x in.”} Wait, that was wrong. Here is the clean version:

T-high has no pair or meaningful draw on this flop, and the big blind bet into two opponents. Continuing for 450 chips is unlikely to be profitable.

J-high has no pair or flush draw, and the backdoor straight possibility is too unlikely to justify calling 450 into the pot. Fold to the flop raise.

J4 suited is playable from the button in a three-handed unopened pot. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to take initiative and apply pressure to the blinds.

84o is too weak to play from the small blind against a button open with the big blind still to act, so folding is clearly best.

A2 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a 2.5bb button raise, and calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

Ace-high has some showdown value on this paired flop, but betting out of position is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

I have a weak hand with a backdoor club draw and no showdown value, but I can take a free turn card in position. Check rather than build the pot with a bluff on a paired board.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but betting into the preflop raiser on this turn is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold. Checking keeps the pot small.

A small turn bet can represent a strong queen or king on a board that favors the preflop raiser, while giving my club draw a chance to improve if called.

The small turn bet gives me a reasonable price to continue with ace-high against possible bluffs. I can reassess on the river.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but I have no diamond and little reason to expect a river bluff to fold out a better hand.

My jacks give some showdown value, but the river completes the diamond flush and adds straight possibilities. A check avoids value-owning myself against likely calls while preserving my chance to win at showdown.

T9o on the button in a 3-handed game is a clear open-raise; a 2.5bb open steals the blinds often and plays well in position when called.

Ace-king offsuit is strong against a button opening range. I’m three-betting from the small blind to build the pot and avoid playing a multiway pot out of position.

8♦5♠ is a weak offsuit hand, and facing a large three-bet from the small blind the call price is not justified.

T9 offsuit plays poorly against a large 11bb 3-bet from the small blind, even in position. It is dominated too often and realizes too little equity to justify calling 8.5bb.

Q7 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed, and raising gives me a chance to win the blinds while retaining position postflop.

J♣5♣ is too weak to defend out of position against the button’s raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

AQs is well ahead of a button opening range in 3-handed play, so a 3-bet from the big blind builds a pot in position-disadvantaged spot while I hold the stronger hand. A 3-bet to 10bb is standard sizing out of position.

Q7 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large preflop three-bet, even with position.

Q6 offsuit is marginal, but on the button in a three-handed unopened pot it is playable with position. A small raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

J5 suited out of the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is too weak to call profitably out of position. It is also a poor 3-bet candidate, so folding is best.

Q3 suited has enough equity to defend the big blind against a 2.5bb button raise, especially with 150 more to call into a 400-chip pot.

I missed this dry ace-high flop and have little draw equity. Checking avoids investing more with queen-high.

I have no pair and little useful equity on this ace-high board, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the big blind’s calling range.

The turn favors my big-blind range, and Q-high is unlikely to win at showdown. A 350-chip bet can fold out stronger unpaired hands while I retain a gutshot to the wheel.

Q-high has no meaningful draw on this board, and calling 350 would be a poor price with little chance to improve to the best hand.